Household Carpet Recycling: The Dos and Don’ts

An estimated 400,000 tonnes of carpet is consigned to landfill every year. That’s more than the mass of the Empire State Building in New York City. With such a huge amount of landfill being devoted to carpet waste, isn’t it time we reduced the impact that carpet disposal has on the planet?

The good news is that things are looking better already; carpet recycling rates are at an all-time high. Now that reusing, repurposing and recycling carpet is becoming more common, how can you make sure you’re doing it right?

What Kind of Carpet can be Recycled?

The truth is, any carpet can be reused or recycled. Both wool and synthetic carpet types are recycled by Aasvogel and turned into a variety of new things – including surfaces for equestrian events and animal bedding.

Some carpets can be separated into backing and yarn. Synthetic carpet made with petrochemical plastics can be turned into injection moulded plastic products and unbacked woolen carpet makes an excellent insulator and an effective soil enrichment medium when shredded – due to its high nitrogen content.

Carpet tiles, for example, are extremely tough and hard wearing, which makes them ripe for reuse. After cleaning and matching, they can be sold on at a fraction of the price of new carpet tiles, with a long life ahead of them.

Carpet Recycling Dos and Don’ts

Let’s start with a don’t, because this one is common: Don’t try to chop up or shred old carpet into tiny pieces yourself. Although it may seem like a good, space-saving idea, it hinders the sorting process (which splits out carpets by woolen and synthetic types) and can make recycling impossible.

At Aasvogel, carpet is sorted and baled by its type before being processed, so you can save effort and time by leaving it intact.

Aasvogel Recycling

Aasvogel does waste management with a difference. With over 20 years of skip hire and waste management experience, we’re here to deliver you a professional and environmentally-friendly service.

Our fully licenced recycling plant in Wantage, Oxfordshire, is equipped with the latest technology. Our experienced, dedicated team has helped us reach a recycle rate of 95% – and we continue to improve.